


Two and One

by Galacticoaktree



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Fluff, M/M, OT3, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-04-18 10:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14211411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galacticoaktree/pseuds/Galacticoaktree
Summary: Feliciano and Ludwig lead a quiet, romantic life together, nations' conflicts from the past forgotten. One day however, they stumble across a badly injured Kiku Honda. Being a former ally, they take it upon themselves to nurse him back to health (despite his protests, of course).  Perhaps they expected to strengthen their friendship, but none of the three quite expected to fall in love...





	1. The initial wound

**Author's Note:**

> OT3 fluff, that's all! Each chapter will centre around a different member of the trio at once. Some blood mentioned but nothing too graphic. Enjoy!

At this point, there was nothing that Kiku could do other than flee the scene. He had been but protecting his nation, his land, his people, but this particular occasion had not rocked in his favour.  He'd done absolutely everything he could, fought it till he couldn't carry on, and now... He hadn't planned on running. He'd never flee such a scene on his own accord - Kiku Honda would much rather die, than surrender and risk his nation being hurt, but he'd been told to run by one of his higher-ups, and he wasn't one to ever disobey.  Looking at the situation now, it was clear to him why he'd been told to flee the battleground. 

His feet hit the soft ground with harsh impact, flinging lumps of mud and earth upwards, and though it stained his once snow white, pristine uniform a dirty, soil brown, it stood out much less than the splotches of dark crimson. Every thud of a footstep hurt him, his pale hand clutched to his reddening abdomen, but he wasn't the type to let his own physical agony distract him. He couldn't stop yet. Even if the dark faced trees of this gloomy, desolate, far away forest loomed over him menacingly on this war torn, starless night, he wasn't about to stop. If he did, his enemy would surely catch up. Kiku knew why he was the one that had to run. Enemies like that would do anything to get their hands on a nation - and in his current state, if they did catch up, Kiku would have no chance against them. He was injured, out of weaponry, and tiring by the second. If he could just get as far as his house - he'd be safe there, right? Not only that, but he'd be alone there. Nobody to have to worry about him. He could simply recover alone and in isolation. Lost in thought, Kiku's concentration weakened, and he let himself make a single mistake. The tip of his foot caught under a single rogue tree root, and sent him catapulting head first into the ground. He panicked, frantically scrambling to get up, but in an act of utter betrayal, his body had decided it could take no more. His dark blood seeped into the ground, and his eyes became heavy as his breath shook and quaked. Desperately, he clawed at the ground with his trembling hands, but it was over, and within minutes, he lay still on the cold earth, his breathing turning deep, his body shutting down. Within minutes, Kiku Honda lay unconscious and alone. 

The forest was rather peaceful by itself, despite the nation's frantic delusions. Far, far away from the battlefield it was, and though it rained now with the early April showers, it truly was at peace with itself. It was a popular destination for adventurers, or lovers, its flora grand, and its fauna friendly. On a night like this, it was cold, and fresh with the sky's blessing of water. Silence reigned, the occasional crack of twigs as an animal shifted in its nest, but it wouldn't be long until dawn, until birds rose in song and the dawn flamed a familiar orange hue. Yet until then, the forest stayed, silent, and dark, and still.

Until that dawn, that daylight, Kiku Honda would dream of old times, memories of his long life drifting through his subconscious. Some he wished he could relive, but most, he wished he could forget.


	2. Just the two...of us?

When Ludwig woke up, Feliciano wasn't by his side. That was... odd, to say the least. Usually, he'd be up at the crack of dawn, and if he didn't wake Feli up himself, then the lazy Italian boy would often sleep well past noon. He stretched, a few joints cracking, and got out of bed in one smooth, swift movement. In fact, taking in a deep breath, he could smell food. So that's why Feliciano was awake already - he'd gotten hungry. Ludwig muttered under his breath that, the only two things that really did motivate that boy were sleep, and food. Not going down to kitchen to see what was cooking just yet, Ludwig strode into the bathroom, and washed up for the day. In the mirror his combed back his fringe; it always looked much better like that, than in his face and over his eyes. He stared in the mirror a little while longer. Ludwig never really thought that much of himself, but Feliciano constantly told him he was pretty - the German did appreciate that, even if he wouldn't usually let on. 

As he finally sauntered into the kitchen, he was met with an overfilled plate of pasta being shoved quite literally into his face. He leaned away a little, having only just cleaned himself up. 

"Buongiorno, Ludwig!" Feliciano beamed. Ludwig took the plate from his hands, and set it down on the side.

"Good morning, Feli." He paused. "What's this about?"

Feliciano's smile faded a little. "What, I can't just make you a nice breakfast?"

"N-no! I was just asking, that's all!" Ludwig stuttered, greeting Blackie, Berlitz and Aster with a gentle pat on the head each. Feliciano giggle mischievously in response.

"Relax bella! I was only playing~"

Ludwig shook his head, and took back the plate, tucking in to his pasta. Feliciano came up next to him, took some more out of the pot, and began eating it too. The German swallowed, before a tender smile and a slight pink dusting crept up on his face. 

"This is really nice, Feliciano... Thank you." 

"I love you too." Feliciano replied, blushing just the same. "Actually, Ludwig, would you like to go out today? They said it's going to be nice, and warm, and sunny! We could take the dogs for a walk somewhere!"

Ludwig finished his mouthful, peering at the deep orange sunrise outside. It did look nice, and the dogs were aching for an adventurous day out. He grinned. "Well why not? Where were you thinking of going?"

Feliciano pondered. He hadn't actually thought that far. "Mmmm... There's a really nice forest about a half hour away from here? I went once a while ago, there were bunny rabbits! It's also really big, the doggies would like it!"

"Then we can do that-" Ludwig paused again, glancing down at his tank top and baggy pants. "I'll have to put some different clothes on first." 

Feliciano laughed in response. "Me too." He chuckled, gesturing to his obnoxiously patterned dressing gown. 

\---

Some time later, after they had eaten, and fed their pets, and cleaned up a little, the two emerged in their new change of clothes and began sorting through dog leashes, and tennis balls. Feliciano looked adorable in those shorts, with such a free flowing t shirt, Ludwig thought to himself. With everything sorted, the two left the house, and locked up, dogs on leashes and hand in hand. The walk to their destination was a good one, the rising sun getting ever hotter on their freshly woken bodies, the dogs' excitement uncontained and amusing. They talked cheerfully about old times and present times and times for tomorrow and times for the future, one of them stopping every so often for a playful kiss. The dogs aided with that too, occasionally tangling leashes and ending up with a scene that looked like something from a cheesy old movie, and when they finally got to the forest, the sun was risen, golden rays shining through the new blossoms of each tree. 

"April's just the right time of year for this, isn't it?" Ludwig remarked, Feliciano getting giddy by his side. 

They let each dog off the leash, and watched the three go running happily into the forest, knowing no bounds. Ludwig and Feliciano however, stayed together, side by side, and wandered through what seemed an enchanting place. The trees leaned down to present their candyfloss colored blossoms, and the bluebells and daisies opened their buds to greet the warm springtime sun. The ground was soft, as it had rained the night before, but the trees were more than happy to be planted in such nutritious earth. Birds sang in their nests, talking to each other joyfully, as they lay on their eggs, ready to hatch. Feliciano noticed a tiny, brown coloured rabbit in the distance, and nudged Ludwig to show him. The Italian proceeded to retrieve a strawberry from his bag, and offered it out, crouching as small as he could. Ludwig copied that action, so as not to scare the creature away, and sure enough, the rabbit came, though cautious, and took a little nibble of the strawberry. 

Before it could take much, it sat bolt upright, and suddenly sped away, as if something had frightened it. The two men looked around, confused, to spot Blackie and Berlitz bounding toward them both. Ludwig started laughing at the goofy dogs, but his laughter stopped when he noticed just how frantic they were acting. Berlitz tugged at his sleeve, and Blackie pointed his nose in the same direction. Both dogs were extremely excited, or was it... distressed? Ludwig noticed how Aster wasn't with them, and began to worry for the sake of his other beloved dog.

"They're trying to show us something!" Feliciano exclaimed, half worried, half simply intrigued. 

"Let's see what it is." Ludwig replied, getting up and promptly following the dogs' lead. 

The dogs boldly leapt over branches and rocks, leading the two men much further into the forest than they had planned on going. Soon though, they led them through a tangle of branches, and there sat Aster, protecting...

Feliciano gasped in sheer horror of the sight before him, getting behind Ludwig, who simply froze, watching as the dogs whimpered and nudged what looked like a lifeless body. Except, Ludwig quickly figured out, this was someone that, some time ago, he had come to know very well. 

Ludwig moved further forward, and then stopped. 

"Feli, it's okay. He's breathing."

"Oh thank god-" Feliciano stopped when he too, came to look at the body with more observant eyes. 

Ludwig got down on his knees, giving the dogs a pat on the head and a firm 'good boy' to each, before he gently took the unconscious man's shoulder, and rolled him over to see his face. That confirmed his suspicions. 

"Kiku.... Kiku Honda."


	3. Take Care

Feliciano knelt in the dirt, Kiku's head resting in his lap. He brushed lightly at his friend's unaware face, trying to wipe away some of the damp earth. The Italian's eyes gazed over him, his face full of concern, since neither he nor Ludwig had any idea what was really going on. Speaking of Ludwig, Feliciano glanced up at him every once in a while as he paced back and forth between two trees, thinking hard. Eventually, he broke his solemn silence to ask the burning question.

"Ludwig, what are we going to do..?" Ludwig was quiet and Feliciano wondered briefly if asking before the German was done thinking was a mistake. Maybe he should've left it, and not interrupted, like an idiot. Still, something had to be done, and they'd come up with a few solutions before this point, but neither had turned out well. The first, was that they simply alert the authorities, and let the hospital take care of the man, however Feliciano was quick to point out that if he was being chased, then whoever wanted to hurt him might be waiting for him there. The second was to take him back to his home and allow the locals to look after him, but Ludwig had realised that Feliciano's point still stood.

"I'm sorry Feli." He replied. "I have no idea."

Feliciano was quiet for a second, before he continued brushing dirt off of Kiku's cheekbone with the edge of his thumb. "Ludwig, we could... we could take him back to our place. He is our friend, right?"

"No, absolutely not!" Ludwig exclaimed quickly. "Well, I mean, he is our friend, yes, but we can't take him. Whatever drove him this far in here might come after us next - I can't risk your safety, Feliciano-"

"But he's hurt! Badly!" The Italian interrupted, persistent. "We can't just leave him here, not like this!"

Ludwig frowned at his lover, but his frown softened quickly when he noticed that Feliciano's eyes were beginning to well up slightly. He audibly sighed, hanging his head a little. "Then I guess... I guess it's okay. We're strong nations, if anything does happen... I suppose."

Feliciano smiled in response. "See? You're worried about him too."

The other nodded a little, his arms still crossed. "Though, how are we supposed to get him from here to-" "

You can carry him! I'll take all the dogs' leashes! I can walk them just fine!"

"Don't you think that just carrying a body out of the forest and into the street is a little odd?"

"I'm sure nobody will think anything bad!"

"Feliciano, there's blood all over him."

"In that case, I can go get the car, and-"

"That's even more odd! We'll be arrested before we even leave the car park!"

"Well what else is there?"

Ludwig sighed loudly. Why oh why did I agree to this, he pondered, half wishing that Kiku could've collapsed somewhere else. Still, he'd gotten himself into this mess now, and from the pleading look on Feliciano's face, it seemed there was no getting out of it.

\---

"That's probably the scariest thing I've ever done." Ludwig muttered grumpily, lifting Kiku's heavy body from the backseat. Feliciano was already prancing to the front door, fumbling with the lock and getting it open... eventually. It was a good thing, he decided, that they hadn't turned that spare bedroom into another kitchen after all, even if it did mean having to go downstairs for pasta. He opened the bedroom door, Ludwig following behind, and quickly pulled back the bedsheets.

Nobody had used this room in a while, so the sheets were still fresh. Ludwig placed Kiku down on them as softly as he could, and Feliciano sat straight down on the chair which sat next to the bed, his tanned fingertips brushing Kiku's onyx hair away from his closed eyes. His hair was usually exceptionally soft and sleek, and reflected light beautifully, but right now, it was tangled, and awfully matted with dried mud. Feliciano turned his attention to Kiku's body. Crimson splotches sat on his shoulder, abdomen, and thigh. Somehow, Ludwig seemed to read Feli's mind.

"We should get a better look at his injuries, shouldn't we?" He said, waiting for Feliciano to nod before he went to get their rather extensive first aid kit (it did need to be extensive, Feliciano was clumsy).

The auburn haired boy gingerly placed his hand on Kiku's chest. It was silly, he knew that he was breathing fine anyway, but Feliciano had panicked earlier when he couldn't find Kiku's pulse. It was fine now though - he could feel the steady rhythm of his heart, and that settled his conscience slightly. Ludwig soon came back, with the comically large box, and set it down on the bedside table, undoing the catches.

"I'm sure he's just fine, Feliciano," He said softly, half stating it for himself, "He's one of the strongest nations out there these days."

Feliciano smiled earnestly. "You're right!" He got on his feet, and whilst Ludwig was busy sorting through supplies, Feliciano carefully began to unbutton Kiku's jacket. "I'm sorry Kiku, I know you hate it when people do things like this," He told him, "but for once, you should let someone take care of you... You hurt by yourself all the time, and that's not good for you!"

Ludwig looked over, half hoping that Kiku had woken up, but no, Feliciano was just being Feliciano.

Feliciano removed his friend's clothes as gently as possible, and gasped audibly upon seeing the wounds. On Kiku's shoulder, there was what looked like a bullet wound, and the same went for his thigh. They were bloody, and disturbing to look at, but they were nothing compared to the horrifying gash leading from Kiku's stomach to his chest - it looked to Feliciano as if a sword had been plunged into him, though not all the way. His eyes only moved away from the sight when he noticed Ludwig already wiping away at the excess blood with a cloth, and Feliciano snapped out of his shock, joining him.

\---

"Is he really going to be okay...?" Feliciano muttered, cuddling closer to Ludwig's firm body. They were sitting on the couch, supposedly watching a movie, but they both knew that neither of them had payed any attention since the first ten minutes. They both had their mind on... Other things. "I'm sure he'll be absolutely fine." Ludwig replied, his voice less confident than usual.

\---

Kiku Honda opened his eyes. It was... warm... and comfortable... and it didn't hurt as much. Groggily, he looked around. His first thought was that maybe he was in a hospital, but no, it was far too decorated for that, far too quiet, and he'd been purposely made far too comfortable. He'd even been covered with bandages, and given some clean clothes. The mud had been washed off his caramel skin, and his sleek hair had been untangled. Where was he? He panicked, and sat bolt upright, only to cry out in pain when he remembered just how injured he was. He clutched his stomach, shaking slightly and rendered unable to move. Kiku Honda was in pain, was frightened, and wanted to just be alone more than ever. Suddenly, the door burst open, and he shrieked in fear, only for his eyes to widen in utter surprise. "Kiku! Thank god you're alright!" A familiar voice sang. "Thank god you're alright."


	4. Stupid, So stupid

"It's okay, just relax." Ludwig told Kiku, lowering him back down onto the bed. Sitting up in such a panic had not been a good idea at all, and though Feliciano hadn't noticed how much pain he was in, Ludwig had come straight in to help. Now, Kiku laid flat on his back, breathing deeply and slowly. He'd been told before that doing that was a good way to calm down, and right now, it was helping, even if only slightly. He was sure that it was obvious though, that his hands were still trembling, as much as he tried to keep them still.

"I'm sorry about that, Kiku. I didn't think." Feliciano said, his voice softer than usual. He sat down on the chair he'd been perched on earlier, and Ludwig pulled another one to the other side of the bed. 

"N-no." Kiku stammered, the first words he'd said since he woke up here. "It's my fault for not remaining calm. I'm so sorry to trouble you."

"Don't be sorry, Kiku. You're injured." Ludwig added, glancing down Kiku's body. 

The three of them were silent for the next few minutes, all of them avoiding each other's gaze, a little awkwardly. 

"Kiku if I may ask, what happened to you?" Ludwig broke the silence, furrowing his brow. He wasn't aware of any ongoing war or such, but the Japanese man's injuries were bad enough that that's what it looked like. He noted how Kiku swallowed hard, and didn't return eye contact.

"I'm incredibly sorry, I don't remember much. After all you've done for me I wish that I could at least tell you why, but I'm rendered useless." 

"You're not useless, Kiku!" Feliciano piped up, standing over him suddenly. "Don't ever think that! We found you unconscious and hurt in the forest, we had to help you, right, Ludwig?"

Ludwig muttered a 'yes' in response as Kiku turned his attention to the both of them. "Please, what can I do to repay you for all of this trouble?"

Ludwig shook his head. "We don't need anything from you, it's alright."

"No!" Kiku replied in sheer frustration. He couldn't even begin to imagine letting someone take care of him and not paying them back somehow. "Please, just let me-" The sentence fell short however as, when Kiku tried to sit up again, forgetting about his wound, he couldn't help but flinch, a pained whimper being the only thing to escape his lips. Feliciano was the first to him, and he noticed that Ludwig was getting up and leaving. Perhaps he should've just left it, not disagreed with them. 

"Kiku," Feliciano said, his hands on the other's shoulders, pushing Kiku back down as gently as he could. Feli's smile was warm, and soft. He had a rather gentle face, and Kiku being Kiku, had really not gotten close enough to notice the details before. "If you keep that up, it'll really hurt, so try to think about yourself next time, okay?" 

"I'm sorry." Kiku whispered, only just beginning to regain his voice. His eyes moving away from Feliciano, he turned his head to the side in a little bit of shame. He hated this situation - he hated feeling so helpless like this, if his people knew that this is how he was doing, they'd surely look down on it, he thought. His train of thought was broken when Feliciano brushed his hair away from his face, making him flinch slightly in surprise. He turned back to look at Feliciano, and smiled weakly. He hadn't even noticed that his hair was getting in his eyes like that. 

"Stop being sorry all the time, sometimes you have to let people be nice to you! I'll let you in on a secret... I just let people be nice to me all the time!" Feliciano beamed. That wasn't exactly a secret, but Kiku didn't want to say anything about it. "Besides, Ludwig and I were really worried about you, you know. Especially Ludwig. Being such an old friend of ours, we didn't want to think anything horrible had happened to you." 

"Oh no, I'm so sorry for w-"

Feliciano cut him off mid sentence when he started giggling furiously. "You really can't help it, can you?" He teased, his grin wide.

"Eh? Did I miss something funny?" Ludwig strode back into the room, dumping a small box on the side and fiddling with it. "I went to find the painkillers. Stronger ones, I mean."

"Oh no, you needn't-" Kiku protested, but he was quickly handed a couple of pills.

"Just take them." Ludwig said, and Kiku proceeded to do what he was told."We can leave you be for a while, if you want."

Kiku nodded slowly. "Thank you very much." 

When they had both left the room, Kiku sighed slightly, closing his eyes a bit. He focused on his breathing for the next few minutes, but his mind began drifting not long after. He hadn't seen Feliciano and Ludwig in a long time - were they together now? That's what it seemed like. He always did suspect something between them, and they always were very close regardless. They were much closer to each other than to him, but he hadn't really minded. He liked being alone, after all. He reached up, and took a lock of his hair between a thumb and finger, smoothing it down, even if it didn't need it. It was the same piece that had fallen over his eyes earlier, and he couldn't help but wonder why he'd jumped so hard when Feliciano brushed it away. It wasn't like he was injured there, and he knew that Feli was stood right there anyway. He wondered if it was just that he didn't like sudden touch. That must be it. 

\---

Ludwig stirred dinner in the pot. It was getting rather late, and they usually didn't eat this late at night, but due to the circumstances, it had to be put off a few hours. The dogs all sat around him, looking up for food, and the three of them would, occasionally, get just a little treat. Feliciano was already sitting at the table, but instead of spouting silly stories like he normally would, he wasn't saying, or doing much at all, and that made Ludwig worry a little. Still, he was worried himself, about... quite a few things now, actually. 

"It's eintopf, you know!" The German chirped, more cheerful than usual. "We both like that, don't we?"

Feliciano smiled. "I love your eintopf! I love you more, though." 

He couldn't help but giggle when Ludwig proceeded to get flustered. Even after all these years, he still blushed tremendously whenever Feliciano mentioned that he loved him. Ludwig still couldn't really believe it, that Feli, liked him, out of all the people and nations that were out there, despite all of his flaws. He loved him too, and made sure to say that every time. Feliciano got up from where he was sitting, and pulled the taller man down into a kiss, slow, and loving. Feliciano peered into the pot straight after.

"Looks delizioso~!" He mused, exaggerating his accent to be funny. "Hey, did you include enough for Kiku? I don't think he's eaten."

Ludwig swallowed. "Damn it, I forgot he was here."

"He is quiet, isn't he?" 

"It's okay! I can get myself some food!" A tiny voice piped up in the room somewhere, making both men look fast. Of course, Kiku was standing there. Barely standing, that is. His legs were visibly trembling, and he was leaning fully against the wall for support. He gasped as the dogs barked and came bounding towards him, their tails a wagging frenzy. Sure, he had a dog, but pochi was tiny, and he wasn't overly used to having a great big german shepherd try to pounce him. 

"Hey! Down!" Ludwig commanded, the dogs instantly obeying. "Kiku, what the hell are you doing up?"

"I-I thought I could come and help you with something, anything, as a bit of repayment. I'm s-sorry."

Ludwig sighed loudly and Feliciano shook his head a little. "I told you, you don't have to! This isn't good for you, you know? Besides, who misses an opportunity to stay in bed all day?"

"Me." Ludwig jokingly replied. "Still, we didn't even hear you come down the stairs, or open the door for that matter. How long have you been here?"

"Only long enough to hear you say you forgot - but that's alright, I certainly wouldn't want to put you through the trouble of cooking for me, so this is much bett-"

Before he could finish his sentence, his legs buckled, and his small body hit the ground with a light thud. The dogs instantly ran back up, licking his face as he sat there in a little bit of shock. Feliciano rushed over to him, asking if he was okay. He was, but he didn't expect that. The next thing Kiku knew, Ludwig had come over again, and whilst he was dazed and couldn't put up a protest the same, scooped him up in both arms. That was incredibly easy for Ludwig, since compared to him, Kiku was so tiny, and since he was skinnier that Feliciano, he was even lighter than what Ludwig was used to.

"I'll make something for Kiku to eat, yes?" Feliciano called, as he was carried out of the room. 

"Yes, of course!" Ludwig called back, before he turned his attention back to the small man he was carrying up the stairs now. "What the hell were you thinking?" He hissed.

"I-I'm sorry." Kiku replied, looking up at his face with guilty chocolate eyes. 

"Don't say sorry to me," Ludwig continued, "It's you that you should be worried about. What if you had passed out again? What if you'd broken the stitches I gave you? Don't risk yourself getting hurt like that."

Kiku didn't reply, but instead lowered his head. He'd just wanted to help, but instead, he'd only gone and made Ludwig worry more. That was no help at all. Soon, he was back in the spare room, and Ludwig set him down gently on the bed. He pressed a light hand to Kiku's golden forehead.

"You're warm, are you alright?" He asked. "You do look a little red, too."

"N-no. I'm fine, I promise." Kiku protested, pulling away slightly.

"Alright then. Just get some rest tonight, and tomorrow we'll see how well you are, okay?" And with that, Ludwig left.

Kiku buried his face in the blanket a little. He was stupid, so stupid... but he always had been like this. 


	5. The trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Kiku isn't getting any better, Feliciano decides to take a trip out to Japan, and fetch his belongings. Ludwig's not sure how good an idea that is, and it soon begins to turn out that Ludwig was right...

 

“I feel kind of bad for Kiku”. Feliciano announced, shoving another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

“Kind of?” Ludwig almost laughed. “I mean, he almost died and now he’s stuck here with us, and you only feel kind of bad for him??”

"Silly Ludwig," Feliciano complained, his mouth full. "That's not what I meant! Besides, who wouldn't want to be around us 24/7?"

If it had been anyone else, Ludwig would have taken that as sarcasm, however, it was Feliciano he was talking to, a very lovable idiot. He just laughed slightly, before getting a bowl of cereal for himself.

"What _did_ you mean, then?" he asked, finally sitting down.

"Well, he's been here almost an entire week, and he doesn't look like he's going anywhere anytime soon." Feliciano said, the whole sentence barely understandable for the amount of cereal he was chewing on now. "We should go to his house and at least get him his stuff..."

Ludwig almost choked on a rice pop. "No way in hell!" He exclaimed.

"Why not?" Feliciano exclaimed back.

"We still don't know what the hell was happening, whoever... or whatever is trying to get him could be waiting at his house to ambush him! You don't want to walk into that trap, right?"

Feliciano stirred his cereal. He hadn't thought of that. Still, he thought of Kiku as... a dear friend... and wanted to do whatever he could to take care of him. He was going to insist. Besides, Ludwig would never admit it, but he really was a pushover when it came to Feliciano. 

Feliciano reached over the table and ruffled Ludwig's messy hair. The German man initially protested, but after a short while, succumbed and let Feliciano pet his hair. 

"You're blushing." Feliciano giggled, finally sitting back down. "I just think we could help him out, that's all."

Ludwig opened his mouth to argue, but didn't get chance to when the cheeky Italian man shoved a spoonful of his own cereal in it.

"Si?" He chirped, giggling at Ludwig's almost violated expression.

Ludwig swallowed. "Ja, I guess so. Though we go today."

"Eh?" Fecliciano teased, "I was going to go back to bed after breakfast!"

" _You just woke up!"_   Ludwig yelled. 

The two continued eating again for a few minutes, until Feliciano piped up again.

"What about Kiku?" Was the obvious question, which nobody had thought of yet. 

"Ah.." Ludwig thought a second. "We certainly can't take him all that way with us, he'll just have to stay here."

"You're probably right." Feliciano replied, pushing his dirty bowl to the side. "Then..."

================

"I can't believe I'm doing this..." Ludwig muttered. "A ten hour flight for  _this_." 

"We're Kiku's friends, so we're gonna look after him." Feliciano insisted, trying his best to follow the map on his phone. They were well out into the countryside now, but at least that would make the small town in which Kiku lived a little easier to find. "We're not far now!" He chirped, pointing his tan hand towards the couple buildings on the horizon. 

When they did get there, the town was eerily quiet. The sun was just coming up, and the two had expected that perhaps _someone_ would at least be awake. There wasn't even a light on in any of the houses. 

"It's kind of creepy, no?" Feliciano half asked, half stated, breaking the awful silence. 

"Just a bit.." Ludwig replied. Kiku's home was right on the end of the town - they still had a fair way to walk.

So they walked, under the red hot sunrise, in the silence that engulfed the town. A couple birds soon began to awake, their chirps a comfort in an otherwise strangely quiet settlement. The trees began to glow, their leaves casting a patterned shadow on the cold hard concrete, and soon, the two men arrived at their destination.

Kiku's home was very much beautiful - an ornate front yard with fountains and pools scattered around between batches of flowers. The house itself was unlike all the others in the town - it was old and worn, the scars of time beginning to show on it. Though, it did make sense, Ludwig though, that his house had been here almost forever. 

In fact, Ludwig was just about to root in his back for the key when Feliciano gingerly tapped on his shoulder.

"Amore, look." He spoke quietly, gesturing towards the door. Ludwig soon saw what he was pointing to. The door had been broken in slightly, and though it appeared closed, with a gentle push from Ludwig, it swung open with ease.

"I had a bad feeling this was going to happen.." Ludwig sighed, but Feliciano had other ideas. 

The house was dark inside, and Feli's cowardly instincts quickly took over. He clung to Ludwig's arm, beginning to regret his stubbornness earlier. 

The wooden floorboards were creaky and the house, being rather large, was an easy one to get lost in. A few rooms had dust on the doors, as if they hadn't been used in years - it was kind of understandable, what with Kiku being such a shut in and all. Still, to both Ludwig and Feliciano, it was absurd that someone could just lock themselves away and be happy like that. Kiku was a strange one, they both mentally decided. 

"If I remember correctly," Ludwig thought aloud, "His room is that door there."

Feliciano nodded, and watched behind Ludwig as the German slowly slid the door open. They almost expected something to come running out at them, but alas, there was nothing. The room was silent, cold, and empty, and the two of them both breathed a sigh of relief. "Right." Ludwig announced. "Let's get his stuff." The two got to work, grabbing what clothes and other necessities they could. Even things such as his phone, or his handheld gaming devices were kind of a necessity when it came to Kiku. The two were almost ready to leave when a sudden thud left them both startled.

"Ludwig-"

"Shh."

The two were completely silent, going as far as to hold their breath. Whatever that was, it wasn't a sound that  _they'd_ caused. There was another thud, and then some scratching of sorts, causing the two men to glance at each other in utter confusion. 

"Feliciano..." Ludwig whispered. "Stay here, I'm going to see."

"O-okay." Feliciano whimpered, wishing that Ludwig wouldn't put himself in danger like this. 

Ludwig slid the door open and slipped away, as Feliciano clutched his back, trying to ignore the worry bubbling in his chest. It was quiet, for a while, until he heard Ludwig shriek, and instinctively, sprang up and bolted into the corridor. Feliciano ran, as fast as his legs would take him - which, as someone who ran (away) a lot, was pretty fast. 

"Ludwig-" He yelled, reaching the end of the corridor. He broke himself off though, when he saw what had happened. Ludwig sat on the floor as if he'd tripped, a small brown bundle of fur tugging at his sleeve. Feliciano suppressed it for a couple seconds, but soon, he found himself laughing at the sight.

" _Pochi!_ " He giggled uncontrollably. 

"Hey!" Ludwig exclaimed. "It's not funny! He bit me!" 

Feliciano couldn't help but laugh harder, bent clutching his stomach. Ludwig's face softened, and before long he found himself laughing in the same way. Thank god, he thought, that it had only been Pochi.

================

"Pochi-kun!" Kiku cried, his arms outstretched to the little dog. Pochi leapt into his master's arms, licking and nuzzling, his tail wagging faster than visibly possible. Though Kiku still couldn't really get out of bed, he seemed to look slightly less sickly just from the small fact that Pochi was here. Dogs had that effect on people, Ludwig knew. 

"And we brought you your own clothes." Feliciano said chirpily, setting the bag down next to Kiku's legs. "And some other stuff, too!"

"You have no idea what I went through to get these for you..." Ludwig sighed, shaking his head. Feliciano couldn't help but giggle - in the end that really was funny. 

"Thank you both very much..." Kiku said, lowering his head in the slight bow he could muster. "You really didn't have to do that."

Kiku smiled again, and pressed his cheek into Pochi's soft fur. 

Though it seemed like there was no issue now, Feliciano and Ludwig each had another issue - one that they couldn't bring themselves to speak about. 

The fact that both of them, both of them felt it.

Kiku's warm smile, his soft face, his silky hair and his small body, Kiku made their hearts jump, and the both of them couldn't do anything but feel guilty about it.


	6. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ludwig and Feliciano think that soon, Kiku's injuries may have healed enough for him to walk again! The three of them each have some... Hidden feelings, however.

"Alright, Kiku." Ludwig announced, setting some washed clothes down on the bedside table. Pochi yapped angrily at Blackie, who stood in the corner wagging his tail. How dare another dog come near his precious master! Never! Ludwig laughed at the feisty little doggy, petting him ever so gently. "Today we're gonna see if we can make some progress... It's been over a month now, your wounds should've healed somewhat."  
Kiku nodded.  
"Thank you Ludwig. You are very generous."  
Ludwig smiled at the japanese man. He was propped up in bed with a few pillows, and quite frankly, he looked so much more beautiful in his own clothes. The dark, rich, ocean fabric of his yukata contrasted in a mesmerising way with his caramel skin tone, and his amber eyes, along with his loosely hanging midnight hair, were beginning to slowly make their way into Ludwig's steel German heart.   
"Whilst I'm here, do you need anything to eat or drink?" Ludwig asked, trying to divert his wandering mind.   
"I am fine, thank you." Kiku lowered his head, shaking it slowly.  
Even his small mannerisms such as that were rather enchanting, and Ludwig couldn't help but wonder why he'd never noticed them before.   
"Alright." He replied. "I'll come back in an hour or so to see if we can try and get you on your feet."  
Kiku smiled softly. "Very well. Thank you again." 

When Ludwig was making his way down the stairs, he could hear some high level of commotion in the kitchen. Quite a loud noise, and then a wavering cry of "Ludwiiiiiiiiig.........."   
"What on earth are you doing?" He called back. Surely, his idiot boyfriend hadn't gone and done something stupid again. This would make the third time today, and it was only eleven in the morning.   
He audibly gasped when he walked into the kitchen to be met with the biggest mess he'd seen in a while.  
"Ludwig!" Feliciano cried, wiping tears from his eyes, sitting kind of pathetically, in a puddle. "I was trying to make some milkshake, and I forgot to close the lid on the blender and... And......"   
And then he just started crying again.   
There was milkshake absolutely everywhere. On the counters, the drawers, the table, the floor, Feliciano, and even the ceiling, and as messy and terrible as it was, Ludwig had to try hard to suppress the laugh bubbling up inside him - it really was just that ridiculous.  
Blackie, Berlitz and Aster quickly came running, drinking the milkshake frantically. Ludwig shook his head, a smile just beginning to creep up his face.   
The German man picked up a cloth and walked over to where the Italian was still sitting mournfully, surrounded by dogs. He knelt down and ruffled Feli's auburn curls, wiping away his tears with the cloth.   
"You know," he began, laughing a little. "I think there's a saying that goes like... don't cry over spilt milk?"   
Feliciano giggled, before launching himself at his boyfriend, tactically kissing him on the lips. Ludwig went bright red immediately, but it didn't matter so much with both their eyes closed. Feliciano's lips were soft and smooth as always, and his dark tan arms wrapped securely around Ludwig was an undeniably perfect feeling. Ludwig's hard and scarred hands lay gently on either side of Feliciano's face, framing his high cheekbones perfectly. 

Kiku pet Pochi softly, sitting upright best he could with his wounds. He was nothing but troubled, and he knew his feelings were wrong. Despite that, he couldn't help but keep thinking about how Feliciano played with his hair, and how Ludwig carried him in his arms. Being someone who spent time all alone, he couldn't help but feel like he was being shown affection, even when it wasn't that way. It was a selfish, selfish desire, but he wanted Feliciano to play with his hair again, and he wanted Ludwig to carry him close to his chest again. It was such a selfish desire, but Kiku Honda wanted them to love him.  
But no, he mustn't think like that. At least, that's what Kiku told himself, his stomach doing flips, his heart pounding in his chest. Kiku couldn't even tell if his feelings were genuine - he'd never been loved before, not by anyone in his thousands of years of life - how would he know now if he felt that way?   
"Kiku~!!!" Feliciano burst into the room and gave the smaller man a quick hug, startling him.   
"Feli, you've scared him!" Ludwig half yelled, following Feliciano into the room. "Hold on, Kiku, do you have another fever?" He asked, noticing how red Kiku was again.  
Kiku shook his head quickly.  
"No, I don't believe so- I-" Kiku stopped mid sentence. "W-What were we going to do, again?"  
"We're going to help you walk!" Feliciano exclaimed. He excitedly took Kiku's hands in his, and poor Kiku had to look away of embarrassment.   
"We're going to help you make a start, anyway." Ludwig corrected. "Can you stand up by yourself, Kiku?"  
Kiku nodded before beginning to demonstrate.  
"If I lean on this, and then... this, and just push myself up on.... this... then I can just about do it."   
He was stood, upright and all, but both Feliciano and Ludwig couldn't help but notice how his legs were still trembling.   
"Kiku... If you're not ready," Ludwig said softly, gesturing to his visibly shaking legs. "Then don't force yourself."  
"No! I want to stop being such a burden on both of you!" He insisted.  
Feliciano butt in. "You're not a-"  
"Please!" Kiku cried quietly, a pleading look in his eyes. Both the men could see just how much it was beginning to take a toll on him, and Ludwig, at least, could understand why.  
Kiku had always been a strong nation - he'd always made himself useful, he'd always come up with new innovation and he'd always provided himself as a service to others. For someone like that to be rendered incapable, Ludwig could kind of understand why he was so desperate to at least be able to walk.   
"Okay, okay." Ludwig replied. "Can you walk at all?"   
Kiku hesitated. Before, when he'd made his way to the kitchen, not only had it taken him almost ten minutes, but he'd stumbled his way there much more than he had walked, constantly clinging to various furniture for support. He wasn't sure if he could actually walk. He lifted his leg to try, but instantly fell straight into Feliciano, who was stood there just in case.   
Feliciano, in a heroic change of character, caught him, when Ludwig had kind of expected him to move out of the way.   
Feliciano wrapped one arm around Kiku's back, and rest his other hand on the back of his head, pressing him against his chest.   
"That was close!" He teased.  
Ludwig frowned.   
"Kiku, are you sure you're healthy enough to try this?"  
"I have to..!" Kiku replied, slowly pushing Feliciano's warm body away from him before he caught more feelings that he didn't want.  
"Okay, then..." Ludwig trailed off. He came over, and put his arm behind Kiku's back, effectively holding him up. Feliciano came and did the same at the other side, and through an hour or two, a little progress was made.

Ludwig helped to lower Kiku back onto the bed, Pochi excitedly licking his master's hand.   
That was good, at least, the German thought, but there was one other thing that lingered at the back of his mind, and he had to talk to Feliciano.


	7. The deep dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiku remembers a few things...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note - quick warning for bloody scenes and implied abuse, stay safe yall and please dont read if youre uncomfortable with any of that!  
> The next chapter will be softer again, I promise!

In the ice cold rain, his small frame trembled and shook. Each drop of rain was a dagger, trying to pierce his flesh as bullets had done in the past and present. Undoubtedly, in the future, too. He clung to the nearest tree, his nails just digging into soggy bark with the sheer desperation to carry on. These weren't the worst wounds he'd ever attained, but that didn't mean the pain wasn't tremendous. With every movement, Kiku could do nothing but watch as blood and gunk fell straight out of him, painting the sodden ground in a sickly blackish red. He wondered what he was going to do now. If he carried on, it'd get so much worse, and he'd risk passing out, and yet if he stayed here, they might catch up to him.

So he had to carry on. He painfully and slowly got back on his feet, a soft cry just escaping his lips. He composed himself, for but a second, and set off at the best run he could possibly manage. His feet hit the soft ground with harsh impact, flinging lumps of mud and earth upwards, and though it stained his once snow white, pristine uniform a dirty, soil brown, it stood out much less than the splotches of dark crimson. Every thud of a footstep hurt him, his pale hand clutched to his reddening abdomen, but he wasn't the type to let his own physical agony distract him. He couldn't stop yet. Even if the dark faced trees of this gloomy, desolate, far away forest loomed over him menacingly on this war torn, starless night, he wasn't about to stop. If he did, his enemy would surely catch up... and as he began to tire, as poor, injured Kiku Honda began to falter, the trees began to break up into dust, and the ground began to split, and open, and rock, and Kiku fell straight into the deep dark void below.

In the darkness, he floated. His wounds were gone, and his uniform melted away into nothingness. He was wearing a kimono now. Around him, lights began to flicker. Past happenings played through windows around him. Things that he couldn't change anymore. He flipped over, and below him, there was a light - a light which slowly built itself up into his home, and he was there, and yet, instead of feeling some comfort, he felt sick to his stomach.

He knew what this was. He remembered this. He was here again, all dressed up in flawless kimono, ready to leave for a festival and yet, he was backed into a corned, looking up at a figure who he could no longer see the face of. In fact, the person's face was completely scribbled over. He shook in fear, pressing himself as close in to the wall as possible, his breathing quickening and his heart thudding so loudly in his ears, that he couldn't make out a word of what was being yelled at him. It only lasted a second though, before the scenery crumbled a second time, and Kiku's small body dropped back into the blackness that he'd been falling through before.

After a while of floating, Kiku looked down at himself to realise he was wearing his uniform again. The blackness around him was materialising again, and suddenly, he found himself rendered unable to move. Now, this was it, the worst pain he'd ever experienced. He lay down in ruins, his blood pooled around him, his wounds severe. At this stage, he might as well have been dead. He felt dead. Almost, almost. His vision was blurred to the point he couldn't see a thing, and the loud ringing in his ears cut out any other sound there would have been. Blood trickled from his ears, his nose, his lips, and he completely, utterly, felt dead and gone. 

===========

Kiku flew bolt upright in his bed, disturbing poor Pochi, who slipped out of the door unbeknown to his master. Kiku's second instinct was to let out a scream of pain and terror, but his first was to clamp both his hands over his mouth to prevent it. He shook tremendously. The whole thing had just been a nightmare. A vivid nightmare of his past - it felt real. It felt real and Kiku had to take a few minutes to process that it wasn't. He was safe in Feliciano and Ludwig's house, he knew that, and somehow knowing that they were just in the other room was a comfort. He wasn't alone. Despite that, he'd finally hit his lowest point since he'd gotten here - he had to swallow hard, a single hot tear falling down his face, followed by another, and another...

"Kiku?" 

The Japanese man almost jumped out of his skin, making an audible gasp as he flew backwards. Ludwig furrowed his brow. 

"Kiku, are you alright? Pochi woke me up and practically dragged me here..." Ludwig stopped for a second, and even in the dark, he could see the glinting tears and the shaking pair of hands. "You're not alright, are you?"

Kiku drew a deep, long breath, composing himself. To Ludwig, it was amazing how he could force himself to calm so quickly, even if it didn't look like the easiest thing.

"I'm so sorry that Pochi troubled you like this." Was the first thing that came out of his mouth, a small stutter ever so slightly present. "He didn't wake Feliciano, did he?"

Ludwig smiled a little. "Feliciano could sleep through an earthquake. He's absolutely fine." The German paused, and quietly walked into the room, taking the chair near Kiku's bed. "You don't have to apologise, you know."

Kiku hesitated. "I-i'm sorry for.. for apologising so much... I-"

Kiku cut himself off and just stared at his palms. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable, that he couldn't bring himself to look at Ludwig in this state. He just looked so sad... and in that moment, Ludwig was desperate to hug him and tell him it was going to be okay, whatever it was, but he had to restrain himself. He had no idea how Kiku would react, if it would upset him further, or if Feliciano wouldn't be overly happy about it, though, Feli being Feli, the latter wasn't likely. Ludwig thought for a short while. He had to do something about it. 

As gently as he could, Ludwig rested a light hand on Kiku's shoulder. The other man startled a little, but Ludwig kept his hand there without a word. He slowly, gently, pulled Kiku towards him, so that his head rested on the side of his chest, Ludwig's arm suddenly around him. Kiku didn't even resist, and just sort of... fell into it. Normally, something like this would make him panic - would make him scramble to get as far away as possible, but right now, it was almost... a comfort. Neither men said a word, but instead just sat together, the only light being the moon, Kiku's small body fitting almost entirely in Ludwig's warm embrace. The peaceful silence eventually became broken as Kiku finally became broken himself, soft, quiet sobs being the only sound in the room as he clung to Ludwig, whilst Ludwig rubbed his shoulder, and stroked his hair a little. This, really, was the closest that Ludwig had ever gotten to Kiku, and hours soon began to pass like this, not a word spoken. 

Though it had stemmed from something awful, the quiet comfort soon became peace in itself.


	8. Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feliciano and Ludwig need to talk... What will happen between them?

When Feliciano finally awoke that day, it was well past noon. In fact, it was almost two o'clock. He was sprawled out over the double bed, and the sun shone in through the west facing window. It was warm, and comfy, and he kind of wanted to go back to sleep, even if it was already past lunchtime. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes a little, before stretching and finally sitting upright. He wanted to talk to Ludwig today. 

Feliciano swung himself out of bed, and threw on some casual clothes before heading to the bathroom to comb his unruly hair. That was always somewhat difficult, as his hair stuck up and out in weird places, auburn curls tangled with each other, and often, his comb would get stuck in the mess of it. Usually, his hair alone took him a while, but today, he brushed it with ease. Surely, he thought, that was a good sign already. Before he headed down the stairs, Feliciano thought to just wish Kiku a good morning, or.. a good afternoon, as it was. He bounced down the hall, knocking lightly on what had become Kiku's door. No answer. It was probably just that Kiku was playing his video games again, or reading, even. He did tend to get lost in a good book... or... manga. Feliciano knocked a second time, a little harsher, to be met with... Silence? Surely, it was nothing. He twisted the handle and pushed the door open slightly. The room was empty. Feliciano stood and stared for a while, before turning and racing downstairs to tell Ludwig. 

"Ludwig, Ludwig!" The Italian cried furiously, running straight into the kitchen, before he stopped. Ludwig was there, setting a plate on the side, and Kiku was there too - they both looked up at him in surprise.   
"Liebling!" Ludwig smiled, coming over to give his boyfriend a hug. Feliciano squeezed him, his arms wrapped firmly around his back, his eyes closed in bliss. The two stayed like that for a few seconds, just relishing in each others warmth, before they parted for a kiss. A sincere, soft, kiss on the lips, that was. When they parted for a second time, Feliciano turned his attention to Kiku, who was quite happily just playing with Pochi. He noticed that Kiku was using crutches to stand with, and Ludwig noticed him looking.  
"That's right! I was awake very early this morning and I found an old pair of crutches that Kiku can use!" He mused, seemingly proud of his little feat.   
Kiku turned around at the hearing of his name, just to silently nod his head and smile at what Ludwig had said.   
"This way, he'll be able to get around himself even before he's fully healed." The German continued.  
"You're brilliant, Ludwig!" Feliciano chirped. He proceeded to bound over to the smaller man and practically fling himself at him, embracing him in a pretty unwanted hug. Kiku shrieked, for one reason or another, and Ludwig had to intervene, prising Feliciano off of the poor man. He lightly tapped his head, enough to make Feliciano giggle.  
"He's not healed yet, you walnut!" He scolded.  
Feliciano creased, letting go of Kiku for his laughter. "Walnut?!"  
"You're terrible!" Ludwig continued, even though he didn't mean it in the least.  
"I'm alright.." Kiku assured quietly. Even if he didn't exactly like it when people did that, he wasn't too sure what to make of the playful bickering. Feliciano quietened down and put his arms around him again, gently this time.   
"We're only joking with each other, you know!" He chirped, "You're silly."  
Kiku didn't really hug back, but he just sort of stood and let Feliciano do his thing - the Italian had always been a little overly friendly. 

It was an hour or so later, and Feliciano and Ludwig were casually watching a new TV series. They cuddled together on the sofa, neither of them really all that absorbed in what they were watching. They both had their minds on other things. After some time of walking, Kiku had gotten tired, and his wounds had begun to hurt him again, so himself and Pochi had gone back to the spare room to rest.   
Feliciano fidgeted.  
"What's the matter?" Ludwig asked. "Bored?"  
Feliciano giggled. "Kind of! You know, we should do something tonight!"  
Ludwig paused.  
"Like what?"  
"Well, we haven't gone on a date together since Kiku got here. I guess we've both been distracted, but he's well enough to look after himself now, and I thought we could go for dinner later!"  
A part of Ludwig worried that he'd accidentally neglected his beloved Feliciano, but at the same time, there wasn't a lot else he could have done the past month or so.   
"I don't see why not!" Ludwig replied. "We could go to a nice restaurant or something..."  
"We could!" Feliciano mused, clearly excited already. "Let's do it!"

======

Feliciano got out of the car, shoving the keys in his suit pocket. He'd driven today. Whenever they were late, Feliciano always got to drive since, not caring much about traffic laws, he always got them there faster.   
Ludwig steadily got out of the car, his brow furrowed as he neatened his hair.   
"You need to stop breaking the speed limit... One of these days you'll get arrested!" He complained, even though he knew what was going to happen the second they'd agreed that Feliciano would drive.  
The Italian just made an 'ok' gesture with his hand in response, sticking his tongue out slightly.   
Feliciano turned his attention to the sapphire, crystal sky above them.   
"Ludwig look!" He cried excitedly, latching onto Ludwig's arm. "Look at the stars!"   
There were many, many stars. Tiny little flickers of the universe, scattered around like specks of glitter shaken onto an exquisitely painted canvas of rich, dark, blues and violets and pinks. The galaxies swirled like mixed paint, their clouds of colour pooling as if the sky were an ocean.   
Ludwig stared upwards, taking it in. Suddenly, a flicker of light shot across the imagery - and then another, and another...   
"Feliciano, make a wish!" He said softly, pointing up at the spectacle.   
The two were quiet for minutes, staring at the breathtaking night sky above them.   
"Remember when we were little?" Feliciano began, "And you thought I was a girl?"  
Ludwig turned red. "I didn't think you were a girl!"  
"Yes you did! You even admitted it yourself that time!" Feliciano laughed.  
He kept laughing, and eventually, Ludwig couldn't help but laugh too. The two of them laughed until there were tears in their eyes and their stomachs ached, and before they'd even finished, Ludwig was telling a different story, and Feliciano another, and.... By the time either of them realised, they'd almost gone through their entire lives together.   
"We missed our reservation completely-" Ludwig began, before he was quickly turned around and met with Feliciano's lips.  
After breaking the kiss, Feliciano just stared up at him for a while, still giggling ever so slightly.  
"Who cares about the reservation!?" He exclaimed, going in for a hug. He squeezed Ludwig, his head resting on the German's chest, his eyes tight shut. He loved him, he really did, and the feeling was mutual.  
"We better get back to our car..." Ludwig said.  
Feliciano nodded, and took his hand.

They sat in the car together, Ludwig in the driver's seat this time.   
"Tonight was one of my favourite dates ever." Feliciano said quietly, leaning back in his seat.  
"I think it was." Ludwig replied, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink again.   
"Ludwig... I can ask you about anything, right, bella?"   
Ludwig hesitated. It wasn't like Feliciano to suddenly take such a serious tone.  
"Of course. What's the matter?"  
"Have you..." Feliciano stopped again. He didn't know how to word this. "Caught feelings... For Kiku...?"

Ludwig felt his stomach drop. He didn't at all know what to say, or do. He didn't even truly know if he had caught feelings for Kiku, but he felt as if answering 'no' would be a lie, and he'd never lie like that to Feliciano. The silence seemed to drag on forever.  
"I knew it, you do like him, even just a lit-" Feli was interrupted.  
"Wait! No! I love you, Feliciano, I would never-" So was Ludwig.  
"You didn't let me finish, dummy. I know you love me! I love you too! I was just going to say... Me too."  
Silence fell on the car a second time.   
"He's cute, don't you think?" Feliciano asked, seemingly unbothered by the atmosphere.  
"F-feliciano, what are you suggesting?" Ludwig replied, completely unsure what to do.  
"Well, we both like him, don't we?"   
"I... We... I think we do..."  
Feliciano grinned.  
"Then let's show him that! We can love each other, and him, at the same time!"   
"How do you know he even-" Ludwig started, before Feliciano laughed nervously.  
"I don't-"  
"Feli! He's timid as hell, we'll scare him off!" Ludwig scolded, slightly annoyed that Feliciano had gotten this far ahead of himself without even so much as observing Kiku.   
Feliciano laughed nervously for a second time.  
"I love you, bella!"  
"...I love you too, liebling."


	9. Sashimi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiku feels a little better, so he decides to thank Feliciano and Ludwig for helping him!

When Ludwig and Feliciano walked in the door, it was the middle of the night. They'd stayed out for much longer than planned just talking to each other and laughing the night away. The dogs excitedly wagged their tails, jumping up and licking both their hands in a warm greeting. The lounge light was on, and though Ludwig expected to find Kiku in there, the room was empty. There was a little note stuck on the light switch - with perfect, neat, black handwriting, unmistakably Kiku's. 'The light is on for the dogs. I have gone to bed. Goodnight.' The note read.   
Ludwig smiled a little. "Look at this," he said, passing it to Feliciano, who stood looking over quizzically.  
Feliciano giggled upon reading it. "He left it on just so the dogs wouldn't be in the dark! He's silly."  
"At least he's not as bad as you are sometimes." Ludwig replied, raising an eyebrow.   
"I'll check on him~" Feliciano chimed, trotting down the hall.  
"Just don't wake him!" Ludwig called after him, seeing to the dogs.

Feliciano gently pushed down the handle and opened the door a crack. The lights were off and there was no sound except for Kiku's soft and steady breathing. He was tucked nicely in bed, sleeping on his side with Pochi curled up at his stomach. Feliciano smiled - he was cute, just resting like that. He stayed there for a second, before slipping out as quietly as he could.   
Being kind of an idiot, Feliciano yelped rather loudly when Ludwig quietly asked "How is he?".   
"Stop shaking your head, I didn't know you were there!" Feliciano protested in response.  
Both of them gasped when the door behind them opened to reveal an obviously very tired Kiku.   
"Was your... meal... nice...?" He asked slowly. He yawned soon after, covering his mouth with his sleeve.   
"I didn't mean to wake you, Kiku!" Feliciano cried, clearly upset that he'd gotten him up.   
"It's.. fine..." Kiku replied sluggishly, smiling warmly but tiredly.   
Every time something like this happened, Ludwig was in awe of just how kind and gentle Kiku was. If he'd been awoken by loud noise and yelling at three in the morning, Ludwig would be extremely snappy, but Kiku managed to be as nice as ever, not a single ounce of even slight annoyance in him. Still, he did notice him slowly rubbing his eyes.  
"Do you want to go back to bed, Kiku? We won't be as loud this time, promise." Ludwig asked him.   
Kiku nodded. Feliciano and Ludwig got on either side of him, and gently led him back to the bed in his room, where he layed down and muttered a quiet 'Thank you'. Pochi growled a little, signalling that it was time for the two big humans to leave his master alone. Feli and Ludwig smiled and nodded in agreement, and did what Pochi had wanted, shutting the door quietly behind them.   
"I don't think I've ever seen him that tired." Remarked Ludwig.   
"Cute! He's cute~" Feliciano mused in reply, Ludwig going slightly pink.  
"Y-yes, he.. he is... We should probably get to bed ourselves.."   
"That's right- it's pretty late, huh?"

Without a further word, the both of them strolled down the hallway, followed by the dogs, and into the bedroom where they barely even bothered getting ready for bed. They got changed and that was about it, before they both just sort of flopped into the bed, cuddling up to each other.   
"Goodnight, bella!"  
"Goodnight, liebling."

=======

When Ludwig got up that morning, it was much later than he generally got up. Something... smelled good, he knew that much. Blackie, Berlitz, and Aster were missing too - probably not far, he thought, but he wasn't worried - it was just a little unlike them. He stretched and slid out of bed, pulling up a pair of what Feliciano often called 'dad shorts' (what was wrong with them?) and buttoning up an equally embarrassing Hawaiian shirt. He left Feliciano snoozing peacefully in the room and trotted down the stairs without even doing his hair yet. 

Kiku was in the kitchen, using the cooker, when Ludwig walked in. The German was somewhat surprised to see him there - he was stirring some white rice in one pot, and cutting up some fish to put in another. He kept tossing some fish to the dogs, who all were sitting at his feet, practically begging for it. Ludwig noticed that he was still leaning heavily on the crutches, one under each arm as he worked.   
"Kiku! I-" Ludwig paused as Kiku startled. "Sorry! I didn't know you were well enough to be cooking!"  
"It's alright," Kiku replied, not looking up from the food he was preparing. "I didn't see you. I've been feeling much better about walking, so I thought that I should show some gratitude towards you both."   
Ludwig shook his head.  
"That's what you're doing?"   
"Yes! I am preparing a traditional Japanese dish for you both."   
Ludwig hesitated. He really was handsome, his onyx hair reflecting the sunlight that complemented his tanned skin. His deep, dark, brown eyes. Ludwig realised he was staring when Kiku asked him if there was something I needed.   
"Ah- No, I... Is there anything I can do to help you out?" Ludwig asked. Kiku smiled ever so slightly.   
"Not at all. I'm doing this for you so please, go and relax." He replied, lifting one of the pots off of the stove.   
"That's... Alright then, I'll just be in the other room." Ludwig said, slowly turning to leave the room. His dogs didn't even follow, they were far too invested in the fish. 

Almost as soon as Ludwig reclined on the couch, the familiar tap tap tap on the stairs signalled that Feliciano had gotten up. A little early for him, though Ludwig assumed that he'd probably smelled food and come running. To Ludwig's slight horror, he'd come down wearing his underwear, and that was it, except for a small gold cross which hung on a chain from his neck.   
"What's cooking?" Feliciano asked right away, more interested in food than greeting people at this very moment.   
"Something Japanese... Kiku is making it." Ludwig answered, before heading straight for teasing. "And go put some clothes on! Kiku doesn't want to see that!"  
"He might!" Feliciano stuck his tongue out at Ludwig, before going into the kitchen.   
Ludwig waited - it was only a matter of seconds before Kiku panicked and Feliciano had to go and put something on.   
Feliciano walked back past the doorway, exaggerating a pout he was making.  
Tap tap tap, up the stairs, and then again, where he came back wearing a tight fitting t shirt that really made no difference at all. He was just about to come and sit with Ludwig when Kiku called for them, and the two of them had never dashed out of the room faster. 

Kiku was just putting the plates down on the table when Feliciano almost skidded to a halt round the door, Ludwig following him. The both took a seat, marvelling at the food in front of them. Kiku sat down last, giving the spares to the dogs.   
"What is it?!" Feliciano excitedly asked, almost drooling. "Is it sushi?"  
"It's sashimi." Kiku corrected gently. "They're different, but are both very popular dishes in my country."   
"Where did you even find the ingredients?" Ludwig further questioned. "I'm almost certain we didn't have any salmon... or white rice, for that matter."  
"Ah, I went to the store a few streets away." Kiku replied, tucking into his first bit of the salmon, as Ludwig and Feliciano practically choked on theirs.  
"You went to the store?!" Feliciano exclaimed.  
"In your condition?!" Ludwig continued.  
"Well, I thought that I was healthy enough by now, and I had no trouble at all. At least not with the crutches." Kiku calmly explained, picking up another piece of sashimi.   
"And then on top of that you cooked all this!" Feliciano cried.   
"Kiku, you could've made yourself really ill!" Ludwig warned.   
Kiku lowered his head and went quiet for a little while.   
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I just wanted to make myself useful to you."  
The two Europeans softened a little. They both realised that Kiku had gone all this way for them, and all they had done so far was practically yell at him. He looked defeated and upset, and the both of them suddenly felt really, really bad.   
"Kiku..." Ludwig said gently. "It's alright, you know. We were just worried, but you're handling it perfectly fine."  
"That's right!" Feliciano chirped in, suddenly his cheerful self again. "You did really well! If I was hurt I wouldn't even bother to try!"  
Ludwig shot Feliciano a look, to which the Italian just laughed and ate some more rice.   
"No but really, Kiku, I can't thank you enough for this." Ludwig continued, trying to divert from Feliciano's antics. "I can't thank you enough for this, it's delicious."  
Feliciano was going to say something with his mouth full, but Ludwig shot him another look before he got the chance. Kiku smiled.  
"Thank you... I'll try not to work too hard."   
Feliciano slammed down his cutlery - he'd already cleaned his plate.   
"Kiku, that was amazing! Thank you!" He yelled excitedly, climbing up and leaning right over the table to attempt to hug Kiku. A commotion ensued with a lot of "F-feliciano, please!" And a lot of "Get off the table! Come down!"   
After finally dragging Feliciano off of the table, Ludwig managed to finish his meal at about the same time as Kiku.   
"I'll clean up after everyone, please go and relax!" Kiku offered, already picking up the empty plates.   
"Are you sure?" The two said in unison.  
The Japanese man chuckled and nodded, and proceeded to clean up as Feliciano, Ludwig, and three of the dogs left for the lounge. Pochi stayed loyally with his own master.

He was just cleaning the table when he suddenly felt... Off. Looking up, Kiku's reflection in the tiles was suddenly pale as if all the colour in his skin had just been drained. Perhaps Ludwig had been right, perhaps he had overworked himself. He felt a splitting pain in his abdomen before his vision started to blacken at the edges and suddenly, it was dark again.


	10. Big hugs and little devils

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having fallen ill again, Kiku thought his main concern would be his health. His main concern however, turns out to be something entirely different...

After a loud ringing sound, Kiku's hearing started to clear. At first it sounded muffled, like he was underwater, and then words began to become clear.   
"I think he's waking up!"   
"Is he? He still looks out of it to me."  
Kiku managed to so much as open his eyes, though his vision had gotten blurred enough that he could make out nothing but colours and vague shapes. He blinked, and it started to clear up, at least, he'd gotten his senses back fast. He'd already determined that he was laying on the cold hard floor, but he kind of hadn't expected Ludwig and Feliciano to be there already. They were leaning right over him, and it looked like they were knelt on the floor with him. 

A hand on his forehead - too soft to be Ludwig's - most likely checking his temperature.   
"Kiku, hey. Can you hear me?" Feliciano asked whilst Ludwig grumbled something about letting him come round in the background.   
Kiku had to process it for a second, before he nodded in response.   
"Oh! Thank god! Ludwig, he's okay, he's properly awake now!" Feliciano called, his hand still pressed firmly on Kiku's head. He moved said hand sideways, to frame Kiku's face in the cup of his hand.   
"You silly goose! You worked far too hard!" He cried softly, his expression sad and full of worry. It was silly, but in that moment, Feliciano kind of looked like an angel, with the light above him casting a heavenly glow onto his dark skin and perfectly curled hair.   
"How long..." Kiku paused, swallowing hard to clear his throat. "How long was I out for?"  
"Just a few minutes." Ludwig said in the distance somewhere. "We heard the crash and came running."   
"At least it wasn't for too long." Kiku replied. To him, it had felt like hours.   
"You broke a lot of what had already begun healing," Ludwig explained, setting down a medical kit. "Your wounds are open again."   
Kiku groaned deeply, only just becoming aware of the pain he was in. He closed his eyes - it was a little too much.  
"The wound on your shoulder stayed fine," He continued, "but the ones on your leg and abdomen are bad again."   
Kiku felt Feliciano start stroking his cheek with the thumb of the hand that still rested on his face. That, at least, was... Nice. It was actually kind of calming. He relaxed into it, kind of letting it distract him from the deep pain around his stomach.   
"I'm going to patch these up for you, Kiku. It'll probably sting a bit, if that's okay with you." Ludwig said, sifting through equipment.   
"That's fine." Kiku answered, his eyes still closed. He wouldn't even feel it, if he concentrated on other things - and he didn't, mostly. When it was particularly bad, he'd maybe bite down on his lip a little, but there wasn't so much as a flinch or a sound from him. Both Feliciano and Ludwig kind of admired how he could do that - just shut himself off from it like that - or at least, make it look like he could.   
"All done, Kiku." Ludwig announced after what felt like hours.   
Kiku's eyes fluttered open. Feliciano thought that, though he didn't have the longest eyelashes, the jet black colour of them framed his large almond shaped eyes perfectly.   
"That wasn't so bad, see!" The italian chirped, taking Kiku's left hand in his left, and putting his right behind Kiku's back, helping him to sit upright.   
"Yet again..." Kiku began, doing his best to lower his head in a gesture of gratitude. "I have to thank you both very much... I'm ever so sorry that you both have to manage with this."   
"It's alright, Kiku, don't get worked up over it." Replied Ludwig, his face softening slightly. "Just... Make sure that when you're thinking about other people, think about your own health, as well."  
Kiku was just about to say something when Feliciano was suddenly pressed up against him - doing that 'cuddle' thing he liked to do so much.   
"I'm so glad you're okay!" He said, squeezing the smaller man to the point he could barely breathe.

Kiku's first instinct was to struggle and panick as per usual, but it took but a second for him to fight his first instinct and lean into Feliciano's hug. He'd caused so much trouble, the least he could do was let Feliciano have this hug.   
Feliciano on the other hand, almost had a heart attack when he felt Kiku actually lean into his hug - when he felt Kiku's face rest against his shoulder, and Kiku's small and dainty hands on his back. The italian pulled him a little closer and just held him, letting Kiku feel secure in his arms. Kiku almost gasped when he felt another hand behind his back, but quickly relaxed again when he realised it was just Ludwig, who'd put his arms around them both. 

The three of them stayed there for a few minutes, the two Europeans kind of baffled that the Japanese man was actually letting them do this. Kiku was kind of... Enjoying it, the security and the warmth of it, though it wasn't long until he remembered how shameless and intimate this kind of thing was and panicked. He wriggled a little to get free and Feliciano and Ludwig let go of him, taken aback by the fact that he'd even lasted for that long.   
"Shall we get you back upstairs?" Ludwig asked gently.   
Kiku nodded. "Please, if that's alright."

===

Having finally gotten where they needed to be, Ludwig and Feliciano on either side of Kiku for support, Kiku was lowered gently to sit on the bed. Pochi had followed and sat nearby, furiously tugging at Feliciano's slippers.   
"I'm sure that I won't have to stay in bed for long." Kiku reassured them. "I think that just a few hours of rest will do."  
Ludwig tutted as Feliciano began trying to prise the feisty little shibe-cross off of his new slipper.   
"Kiku, at least just rest for what's left of today.." Ludwig told him kindly. "You're trying to work too hard again already, and it's only been half an hour since you managed to get hurt again."  
Kiku sighed.   
"I guess you're right, Ludwig." He said. "Thank you for the advice."  
"And if you need anything," Feliciano but in, quickly turning to leave now that he'd gotten rid of the doggy menace, "don't hesitate to call us!"   
Ludwig nodded in agreement before they went. 

With a click of the door, they'd finally gone, and Kiku fell backwards onto the pillows with a sigh of half disappointment, half relief. He pulled the sheets right up and over the bottom half of his face, hiding the flustered shade of pink on his high-set cheeks and his well shaped nose. That really was shameless, how he'd let himself sink into that trap like that! Terrible, he thought! And so did he think, since, not only was contact like that such an intimate and special gesture in his mind, but how could he do something like that when Feliciano and Ludwig were together!? They were right there, too, and he let himself go soft like that! Shameless, he thought, shameless! 

That's the part he was relieved about. That they'd left, so that he could tell himself how terrible he was, but there was a lingering sense of disappointment. Kiku pulled the sheets right over his head, so that he was encased in shame-land. He was ashamed, of course, but that disappointment - that little bit of disappointment like a devil on his shoulder, wishing that they would come back and be close to him again, wishing that they hadn't left. Like a little devil, wishing that just then, they had perhaps so much as kissed him on the lips-

Kiku gasped out loud, smacking his heated forehead with the palm of his hand. How could he be thinking such impure and devilish things?! He was torn and divided, and stuck in limbo between the angel and devil of his own mind. He was frustrated and upset at himself, and he didn't understand why he was having these disgusting feelings. He'd never had these feelings before - he hadn't - and he'd known Ludwig and Feliciano for quite some time. He thought about asking his big brother what to do, or one of his closest friends, but he couldn't drag them into this - he'd promised himself he wouldn't trouble people with such trivial little things. Pochi yapped impatiently, and Kiku peeked just his face out from the sheets, worn out, and a little teary eyed.  
"...Pochi-kun," he whispered, "what do you think I should do?"  
Pochi yapped.


	11. Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the one you've all been waiting for...

It had been a week.

There had been no such interactions since that group hug, and Kiku had very quickly gone back to flinching and fleeing whenever someone so much as brushed his shoulder.   
Ludwig wasn't sure why, and he wasn't sure if Feliciano had even picked up on it. The german had hoped that perhaps that would bring the three closer, but now, he was worrying that it had scared Kiku straight back into reservation.   
Kiku always had been like that, from right back when they first met. That small and frail man had had a much longer life than him, and Ludwig knew, because of that night, that not all of Kiku's life had been easy.   
It explained, to some degree, why Kiku was so reserved, and so unwilling to partake in closeness, and intimacy.

Kiku was just coming down the stairs. He looked... healthy.  
Well, actually, he looked breathtaking in all aspects.   
He wore a bright, oversized sweater with a patterned shirt underneath, a pair of blue cuffed jeans and a pair of white sneakers to complete the look. Yet, his clothing wasn't what was beautiful about him today. Over the past week, he'd worked at getting himself much better, after the whole incident he'd gotten himself into before. His skin glowed. He glowed an alluring shade of gold, his cheeks a hint of rose. His eyes were slightly brighter and his inky hair shining much better than it had been. 

He smiled warmly, lowering his head and shoulders in a slight bow.   
"Good morning, Ludwig. Is Feliciano not around?"  
Ludwig smiled back, his own sky blue eyes gazing over Kiku's bright and beautiful appearance today.  
"He isn't.. Still in bed, I'm afraid, but good morning to you too, Kiku. Would you like a coffee?"  
"Ah, I would prefer tea if you have any-"  
"Of course we do! I'll get you some right away!" Ludwig almost yelled, trotting off into the kitchen.  
"Are.. you sure Feliciano and yourself didn't swap bodies? You seem cheery." Kiku replied, his tone still soft and quiet, though somewhat playful.   
Ludwig laughed a little bit, his broad and muscled frame moving slightly with it.  
"I'm just happy to see that you're doing much better. Even yesterday, you didn't look this much back to your usual self."  
"Ah... Thank you. I do feel a bit better now." 

There was a little bit of quiet whilst Ludwig finished making both the tea and coffee. He handed Kiku his tea and kept the coffee for himself - he put an extra cup of coffee to the side just in case the promise of hot beverages reached Feliciano's sniffer and he came running for one.   
"You don't usually dress like that, Kiku, what are you doing?" Ludwig asked, sitting down with his drink.  
"Oh, I was just going to take Pochi-kun for a walk. He hasn't had the chance to go, with me being ill and all.."   
Kiku took a sip of his tea.  
"I did try to take him for walkies for you, but it didn't go well-"

Ludwig was interrupted by a tiny noise from Kiku. He held his hand up to his face, his shoulders trembling slightly, his eyes suddenly screwed shut. Ludwig sat forward a little.   
"A-are you okay?" He asked, a little worried.   
A couple of seconds passed, before Kiku suddenly burst out laughing. As in, really laughing. His pretty face creased into an even prettier shape, his eyes closed tightly and his teeth on show in a wide grin. Specks of light pink dusted his cheeks, his nose, and ears, as he tried his best not to laugh harder than he already was. Ludwig's jaw almost dropped. He didn't think he'd ever seen Kiku just let go like that, but god did he look beautiful. Ludwig's shocked face softened into a kind of adoring smile. He thought, he thought that just maybe, Feliciano was right about what Ludwig felt. In that moment, he loved him.

"Oh, I'm so very sorry!" Kiku profusely apologised once he'd regained control.   
"Not at all... Though what did I say?" Ludwig asked, genuinely curious, and half worried too.   
"I-its just..." Kiku paused, looking anywhere to avoid eye contact. He had to start stifling a bubbling giggle when he continued. "It's just that.. I've just... I've never heard a grown man of your size s-say.. 'walkies', in such a serious tone before.... do forgive me-"  
Ludwig chuckled. "Now that you mention it, I didn't even think about it. It is kind of silly! You're right!"

Ludwig peeped behind Kiku to notice an excitable looking Feliciano standing in the doorway. 'Go on! Go on!' he mouthed, waving a thumbs up.   
Go on... What? Whatever the hell Feliciano was trying to tell him, Ludwig would at least take this opportunity to say something nice...  
"Is there... Something on my face?" A small and slightly nervous sounding voice interrupted Ludwig's train of thought. He suddenly realised he'd been staring right at poor Kiku's face.   
"Kiku, you should laugh like that more often. You have a really nice laugh." Ludwig replied, softly and kind of slowly.   
Kiku flushed a bright shade of crimson all over his entire face.   
"Oh.." Was all he could muster as his cheeks rapidly darkened.   
"I-I'll be going now!" Kiku stuttered, clumsily getting up pushing the chair back. "B-Bye Ludwig!"   
He turned and pushed gently past Feliciano, muttering a quick hi and bye.   
To Ludwig's sort of amazement, Kiku didn't even have to put Pochi on a leash to take him out. If he did that with Berlitz, Blackie, or Aster, they'd fly all over the place with absolutely no control, but Pochi stayed by his beloved master's feet at all times, so at the same time, it wasn't a surprise. He waved a little goodbye, and slipped out.

The door clicked shut, and Feliciano came excitedly bounding into the kitchen. He gave Ludwig a tight hug, and took his coffee off of the side.  
"You made me a drink! You're so thoughtful, my sweetest bella~!" He sang, almost spilling said drink all over, the now only slightly warm liquid sloshing up the sides of the mug.  
"Last time I didn't make you one, you cried over it." Ludwig remarked cheekily, causing Feliciano to pout at him in response.   
"Isn't Kiku adorable?"  
"Stop trying to change the subject!"  
"Isn't he, though?"  
Ludwig looked down at his own coffee and smiled a tiny bit.  
"He is."  
"When are we going to talk to him.. about...?" Feliciano broke off, sipping at his coffee.   
"I don't know if he's ready, Feli.. what if he freaks out?"  
Feliciano put the empty mug down on the table.  
"...I think he is."

======

Feliciano stretched, stealing the last popcorn from the packet. He reached up and, to the German's dismay, ruffled Ludwig's champagne coloured hair.   
"That was a good movie." He said cheerily, crunching that last piece of snack.  
"It was! I liked the part where they kissed." Replied Ludwig, his arm comfortably around his boyfriend.  
"But nobody-"   
Feliciano was cut off when Ludwig took his chance.   
"That was cheeky." Feliciano said, breaking the kiss for just a second before he went back in.   
It wasn't until a loud crash set the dogs barking that the two broke the kiss again just to see what on earth was going on.   
Blackie, Berlitz and Aster were barking defensively at the window, where drops of fresh water pelted the glass, almost as hard enough as if they were going to break it. It was raining, and very heavily at that.

"How long has it been raining..?" Feliciano asked quietly.   
The wind looked bad too - the spines of trees curved and bent and wanted to snap under the pressure.   
Another crash made the dogs bark again, but this time, it was clear what said crash was, having been accompanied by a blinding streak of flame in the dark clouds.  
"I think it's a thunderstorm..." Ludwig said, kind of pointing out the obvious. "With the movie on, we didn't notice."  
Both men were thinking the exact same thing, but it took Feliciano to say it.  
"Kiku didn't come back, did he?" He asked, a slight frown forming on his features as he watched outside as if Kiku would magically just appear.   
"He didn't." Confirmed Ludwig, with the same expression of concern.

"Sorry doggies!" Feliciano told the three canines at his feet. He zipped up his coat and took an umbrella from the rack. "It's going to be far too cold and wet out there for you today!"   
"I'll take an extra one," said Ludwig, "in case we find him... I don't think he took a coat OR an umbrella."   
Feliciano nodded, opening the door and dashing out into the rain.  
"Poor Kiku, let's go get him!" 

It only took Feliciano to get to the end of their front yard when he stopped dead.  
"Ludwig... Do you-"  
"I don't know which way he went, if that's what you were going to ask."   
There was silence for a minute as they both tried to think of a way around it.   
"We'll just have to pick one direction, and if he isn't round that area, check the other." Sighed Ludwig, crossing his arms. "How does he always get himself into these situations?"  
Feliciano reached up and rubbed his shoulder gently.   
"I'm sure he's fine, he'll probably just be..." He thought for a second. "That way?"

It had been what felt like hours, even if it was but one or two, that the two had been searching. They'd scoured each close street and called in ever open store, and not even a single person they'd described him to had so much as seen him. Both men were freezing by this point, and just wanted to find him and get back inside.   
"Sometimes, he's almost as dumb as you are." Ludwig muttered grouchily as they approached the street their house was on.   
Feliciano fake hit him in retaliation.   
"I'm not that dumb!"   
"You tried to use the blender without a lid.."  
Feliciano fake hit him again, having hoped that that'd been forgotten about and done with by this point.   
"You're awful!" He whined, pretending to hit a third time.   
"I know, I know." Replied Ludwig, ruffling Feliciano's now extremely frizzy hair. "We didn't try the other direction yet, did we? That might be the best idea next."   
The Italian nodded furiously, taking his boyfriend's hand and dragging him along, suddenly full of energy and eager to go search again. 

Though the direction they'd gone in first led to a more urban and built area, this path led to a much more rural one. There were fields for miles here, the occasional little store, and if you kept walking, there was that large forest at the end.   
The rain kept on coming down heavy. The wind wasn't as bad as it had been, but the rain, if anything, was much worse. Even with the umbrellas, Feliciano and Ludwig dripped with rainwater, completely soaked in it. 

They'd almost given up. The two weren't sure what to do, and they'd been almost everywhere they could think of, to the point their legs ached and they just wanted to go home. It was then that they spotted him - Kiku's small and slender figure froze like he'd just noticed those two standing there at the same time. Ditching his umbrella, Feliciano practically flung himself down the street at the poor man, his arms tightly around him, despite the usual protest.   
Kiku was drenched. His bangs stuck to his forehead, his clothes to his body, and water dripped off of even his eyelashes.   
He must be freezing, Ludwig thought. He was such a generous man that he had even taken off his sweater, meaning the cold would take a much worse toll on him, to wrap Pochi in it, making sure his little doggy wouldn't get sick.   
"I was getting so worried!" Feliciano sobbed. Ludwig had barely even noticed that he'd started crying at some point in the last two minutes. "You can't keep doing this! You'll get sick, or hurt yourself-"  
"We're just glad to find you okay." The tallest man said gently.   
Kiku blinked a few times.  
"I- You came looking for me?"   
"We couldn't just leave you out here." Ludwig explained as Feliciano cried on Kiku's shoulder. 

There was silence for a while again. Feliciano pulled himself off of Kiku, and the three just sort of stood staring at each other, the rain still pouring from the heavens. All three of them just wanted one thing, but none of them were prepared to do or say it. 

Ludwig didn't know what the pounding in his ears was anymore. Was it the cold, harsh rain? Or was it his own beating heart? He felt Feliciano squeeze his hand. 

The rain was ice cold, but when Ludwig took Kiku's hips and pulled him close, he could just about bare it. Kiku was trembling - he didn't know why. He didn't know if it was the temperature of the rain, or the pure need that ran through his blood like he'd ran through that forest on that night - desperate. He was trembling, but when Ludwig tilted up his chin and locked their lips, he could just about bare it. It was instinct, almost, there had been no thought gone into it, and yet Kiku didn't fight it, or resist at all. He let his own desires take over and he kissed back, his mind running wild.   
When Ludwig finally pulled away, Kiku barely got a chance to breathe, let alone say anything, before Feliciano spun him around and did the same. Feliciano's hands on his back and their lips on each others, Kiku let his own instincts take over for a second time. 

Having finally pulled away, Kiku stood breathless. He eyed them both warily as if it was some sort of sick joke, but he found himself smiling just a little, blushing just a touch, when Feliciano and Ludwig's arms came around him. They were warm, and he felt safe.   
"Let's go home!" Feliciano said cheerily, his smile telling of his feelings.

The rain soon stopped, and the sun shone through.


	12. Love is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that everyone's feelings are out, the trio will have to get used to life together. Despite awkwardness in the air, nervous feeling soon fade, and...

When they got back, all three of them were drenched in rainwater - Kiku especially, since he'd gone without a coat AND taken off his sweater. The atmosphere was suddenly a tiny bit awkward, but Ludwig soon announced that he was going to go and dig up some towels for them all, and for Pochi, of course. 

Feliciano and Kiku waited by the doorway, dripping water, not wanting to get water anywhere else. The Italian noticed how even in the warmth of the house, the smaller man was still trembling ever so slightly, so he reached out and pulled him close. It was quiet for a minute.  
"Um- I-" Kiku stammered, breaking the silence. "I just.. Are we.. all.."  
Feliciano smiled softly a little, his hand gently rubbing Kiku's arm.  
"If you want to be, then... I guess we are."  
Kiku didn't really know how to reply. He was happy, he did want to, he just wasn't sure how to express it. Instead of using words, he shuffled closer to Feliciano and rested his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes a little. He felt Feliciano's hand move up to his face, stroking the side of his cheek gently.  
"I like you too." He said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Both of you." 

A loud crash-bang-wallop from upstairs broke the moment and Feliciano set off giggling instantaneously.  
"L-Ludwig?" Kiku called, stifling a tiny laugh. "Are you okay?"  
"Yes, yes!" The German called back, sounding slightly annoyed. "The shelf fell! I will fix it later!"  
Feliciano giggled harder, watching as Ludwig emerged with a pile of towels and one on his head already. He passed both of them a bunch of towels, wrapped Pochi in one, and stuck one on each of the others' heads, to Feli's amusement.  
"Ah, thank you.." Kiku said quietly, before running off, presumably to get dried and changed. His own dog followed him, whilst Blackie, Berlitz, and Aster stayed with Ludwig, deciding to slurp water off of the floor, for whatever reason.

"Put a shirt on!" Ludwig scolded, playfully throwing a clean t shirt at Feliciano, who was lounging around half naked again. "It's way too cold not to!"  
Feliciano grinned and put it on, before reclining back on the chair. His newly dried hair was a frizzy mess, curls sticking up wherever possible. Ludwig's hair was a mess, too - though Feliciano liked it. It wasn't often he got to see him with a fringe. There was... A warmth in the house. Whether it was the emotional atmosphere, or simply the fact that it was much, much colder outside, Feliciano decided it was nice either way. The rain pattered heavily on the windows and Feliciano closed his eyes for what he told himself would be but a second. 

The next thing he knew, a light tap on his head woke him up. He rubbed his eyes, groaning something about it being too early, before he felt his hair get ruffled. He looked up in front of him and smiled sleepily when he saw Ludwig.  
"You fell asleep, liebling." Said the German, a gentleness in his voice that made Feliciano's heart flutter even after all these years. Feli looked around slightly as Ludwig moved to put something next to him.  
"What's that?" He asked, suddenly more alert at the promise of a steaming mug.  
"Hot chocolate... I thought a warm drink might help us all to feel better." Ludwig replied, sitting down at the opposite side of the table. That table was a small square thing. It had enough room for four chairs - one on each side, and though Ludwig and Feliciano had rarely used more than two, they were both just a little appreciative that those extra chairs were there.  
Feliciano sipped his drink and squeaked when it was hotter than he'd anticipated.  
"It's hot." Said Ludwig, stirring his own drink with a spoon off the table.  
Feliciano half gave him a look. He'd already figured that out!  
The Italian blew at his drink before taking another sip, and not getting scalded, this time. His eye caught an extra cup of hot chocolate which had been put on the table. Feliciano smiled to himself, taking another gulp of his rich and hot drink. That made him happy. 

What made him happier, was the sound of light footsteps coming down the stairs. It was easy to tell who was using the stairs between the three of them - if the footsteps were soft and quiet, it was Kiku, if they were more stomps than steps, it was Ludwig, and if they weren't steps at all, but rather a crash and a yell as someone fell down the stairs, then it was Feliciano.  
Kiku's defined and golden face made an appearance round the corner. He'd gotten dry and gotten changed, so not only did he have a freshened look to him, but his hair was kind of fluffed up in a way that both Feliciano and Ludwig liked. He'd gotten changed back into his casual yukata - the outfit which he was seen in the most. That sort of traditional outfit suited him the best. It made him look noble yet kind - things that were true of him regardless - and it accentuated his features in a beautiful manner.  
He looked nervous - but Feliciano soon realised he'd been staring when Ludwig pulled out a third chair and patted on it, signalling for Kiku to come over.  
"U-um..." Kiku began after he'd sat down, brushing a stray little bit of midnight hair behind his ear. "..Thank you for the drink."  
"It's no problem." Ludwig replied, ruffling the hair that poor Kiku had only just fixed.  
"I also- I..." Kiku trailed off again, before he took a deep breath - presumably to gain a little bit of calm. His hands rested on his legs, and he clenched the cotton fabric between his slender fingers. "I wanted to tell you both that I'm just... Really happy..."  
Ludwig and Feliciano just about melted. Whilst Feli sat and "aww'd", Ludwig muttered a heartfelt "me too".  
Feliciano shuffled over on his chair and threw his arms around the small Japanese man. It startled him at first, as such things always did, but he found himself leaning into the Italian's chest with closed eyes and pink cheeks of content.  
Ludwig shuffled over as well, and got hold of the both of them. His bulky arms could go all the way around them both, to Kiku's surprise and Feliciano's delight. They sat and cuddled like that for a while, just happy to be together, before the next person spoke.  
"I.. um.. when we.. you know.. out there.." Kiku began, suddenly sounding nervous again.  
"When we..?" Ludwig half asked.  
"Kissed?" Feliciano shamelessly piped in.  
"Y-yes! That!" Kiku exclaimed, his face turning a dark red colour again. "That was, um, I never.. did that before. So.. I'm sorry if I was bad at it, or someth-"  
Kiku was cut off when Feliciano lurched forward to kiss him again. The Italian made it last, pushing for just a little bit more over and over. He made the cheeky decision to bite Kiku's lip a little, eliciting a muffled yelp of surprise from him. When Feliciano pulled away, he wiped a line of drool off his chin, gazing lovingly into Kiku's eyes.  
"You- You didn't have to bite-" Kiku whimpered, leaning a little closer to Ludwig in protest.  
"I'm sorry!" Feliciano smiled. "But you're not as bad a kisser as you think you are!"  
Kiku flushed red again, suddenly trying to avoid eye contact. Such intimacy had always been one of the most embarrassing thoughts for him, and yet now, with these two, he... Didn't seem to mind, even if he looked embarrassed on the outside.  
Ludwig leaned down and kissed the top of his head gently, combing his fingers through the back of Kiku's hair.  
"Don't worry about it," He told Kiku quietly, just enough so that Feliciano could still hear. "He's just teasing you. He's the worst for it."  
Feliciano set off giggling, and Kiku couldn't hold back his smile. 

By this point, the hot drinks had gone cold, but that didn't matter to them anymore.

=======

Kiku lingered hesitantly round the doorframe, twisting a little bit of yukata fabric between his finger and thumb. He watched as Feliciano dived onto the bed next to Ludwig, sprawling out and taking up most of the bed. Ludwig shoved at him, getting him to take up only the space that he actually needed - significantly less.  
When Ludwig spotted Kiku standing in the doorway, he shook his head a little bit, smiling slightly.  
"You know you can just come and get on, right?" He asked, patting the space he'd made next to him.  
Ludwig was sitting kind of awkwardly in the middle of the bed, Feliciano on his right, curling up already to sleep. Kiku nodded and gingerly padded around to the side of the bed that was empty. He sat down and lifted himself on - though his wounds were getting better fast, he still winced a little whenever he had to lift his own legs like that.  
Kiku sat distanced from Ludwig, until his strong arm gently pulled the smaller man right up to him. They layed down together, and the lights went off. Ludwig didn't mind this at all - he could get used to it, actually. He layed on his back with one arm around Feliciano, and one arm around Kiku, both of them resting on each side of his chest.  
Feliciano sleepily reached across Ludwig's chest to take Kiku's hand in his. It made Kiku jump a little, but actually, holding hands with Feliciano didn't seem so bad. Their joint hands rested on Ludwig's chest, and Feliciano closed his eyes, nuzzling into his beloved.  
"I love you, Ludwig, Kiku. Goodnight!" He almost yawned.  
"I love you too." Ludwig replied.  
"I.. I love you.. too." Kiku followed, trying and failing to be as confident as Ludwig. Feliciano squeezed his hand. That was cute.

In what felt like mere seconds, Feliciano had fallen asleep. He snored softly, sleeping content and happy. Kiku couldn't sleep. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable, but he just.. wasn't used to it. Even with Pochi at his feet like always, he just...  
"What's keeping you up?"  
Kiku gasped.  
"Ah- I didn't know you were still awake!"  
"I was waiting to make sure you fell asleep." Ludwig said quietly, looking down at his new boyfriend.  
Though nobody else could see in the dark, Kiku blushed a bright pink colour again. That was actually.. really sweet.  
Today and even simply since they'd taken him under their wing, Kiku had witnessed a soft and gentle side of Ludwig that he'd never seen before. The German was a very gentle and caring man, underneath his hard exterior. Kiku really liked that.  
"It's just... A lot of new things to think about for me. I can't really stop thinking, so I'm still.. awake." He explained best he could, absentmindedly squeezing Feliciano's hand.  
"It's alright." Ludwig replied. "I know just how you feel, but you'll be fine soon enough."  
Kiku shut his eyes and snuggled closer into Ludwig, taking a deep breath of his scent through his nose.  
"Thank you." Kiku whispered. "I'm going to try and sleep... I, um.. I love you."  
Kiku felt Ludwig's arm tighten around his little body.  
"I love you too. Get a good rest." 

It took a while, but soon enough, Kiku was fast asleep. His entire body relaxed and felt heavier, and his breathing slowed down drastically. Ludwig was overjoyed, really, that everything had worked out so much more than just good. This was perfect. This was everything to him. It was all he'd ever wanted for a long time. Ludwig closed his eyes too, now that he knew both his boyfriends would get a good night's sleep, and soon enough, he too, was out like a light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the penultimate chapter! The next chapter will be a sort of epilogue! I hope you all enjoyed so far ✮✠❁…♥


	13. Epilogue

Feliciano was already sobbing. He really was such an easy crier, even at the smallest of things. Though, even Ludwig could admit that this did make his heart ache a little, after so many months. That's right, he thought, it actually had been months now, since that night when they first slept together. Since then, things like that had become easier and easier. They all just fit together like nothing was different.  
Yet now they sat together in the airport, Feliciano leaning into Ludwig for comfort. They waited near the gate for the call that the plane was ready - it had been delayed a couple of hours, but it was alright since, those couple hours were everything to the men.  
Some writing up on the electrical board changed, so Kiku got out his reading glasses - which wasn't necessary, since the writing turned out to be nothing to do with his flight. He sighed a little upon realising that.  
Kiku looked really nice in his glasses.

"At this rate, it'll never come!" Ludwig joked, a part of him hoping it actually wouldn't.  
Kiku smiled slightly, fidgeting with the handle of his case. He kind of didn't want it to either.  
Pochi scratched at the floor in his carrier - he could kind of sense the atmosphere too. It was quiet again for a bit, except for Feliciano's little sniffles. They'd both told him not to cry on the way here, but that had only made it worse for the rather emotional Italian. 

"Hey, Kiku... Did you ever actually remember what happened that night?" Ludwig hesitantly asked. If he did, Kiku had never breathed a word of it.  
Kiku went even quieter, the little smile of content disappearing from his face.  
"I... Suppose I remembered a little. Not much. Just that..."  
He trailed off, causing a silence between them again.  
"If I were to say anything," he said, picking himself back up. "it could really get you into a lot of trouble. So I don't really want to do that."  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Ludwig almost snapped back. He realised how worked up he'd suddenly gotten when he noticed Kiku flinch backwards a little. "I'm sorry," he said, "but I'm just worried about you. What if you go back and there are people waiting for you?"  
"Then I'll deal with it." Kiku answered plainly. "I'm capable of looking after myself... That said.. thank you for taking me under your wing when I wasn't so capable."  
Ludwig shook his head.  
"You really can be stubborn." He lovingly sighed, crossing his arms in an attempt to appear mad. Kiku could see right through him.  
"Still, I can't thank you both enough. Who knows what would've happened to me if you hadn't found me that day." He told them, his voice genuine and full of gratitude.  
"It's alright, Kiku, it really is. It's been wonderful to see you again, in a different, better time." Replied Ludwig, Feliciano nodding tearfully.  
"I actually.. have something for you."  
Kiku's eyes widened when he saw what Ludwig was pulling out of his pocket.  
He dropped the little metal cross into Kiku's hands.  
"B-but- you wear this everyday- I.. I can't possibly-"  
"I've believed, for a long time, that it would keep me safe. I think now, you might need it."  
Kiku paused for a moment, examining it in the palm of his hand. It was warm from being in Ludwig's pocket, and worn from being rather old now. A little bit of the plating on it was cracked from where it'd been held, and the corners were rubbed down from the same thing. It had been well loved.  
"Thank you... I'll treasure it." Kiku said quietly, tracing the cracks with his finger. He always felt a little tearful when people gave him things as heartfelt as this. He almost felt like he didn't deserve it. "Thank you very much.."

An intercom voice startled the three of them. It was the call to board the plane. They all kind of stared at the ceiling speakers in a sad disbelief.  
Ludwig was the first to get up, pulling Feliciano, who was already crying again, up with him. He outstretched his hand for Kiku, and pulled him up from the opposite seat he'd been sat on. 

Feliciano was the first to grab him, pulling him in for a tight hug.  
"Don't go." He cried into his shoulder, not wanting to ever let go.  
Kiku closed his eyes and took one last breath of the Italian's rosy scent.  
"I don't really want to." He whispered, his voice weakening.  
They pulled apart, and then together again for one last kiss. Feliciano's hands rested on Kiku's hips, holding him there for just the extra second.  
This time, Feliciano was unusually gentle kissing him. It was kind of his way of being a little more serious.  
When they finally pulled away after what felt like forever, and yet still not long enough, Kiku turned almost shyly to Ludwig.  
Kissing Ludwig was always more of a challenge, with Kiku being so short as to only just reach his chest. Still, if Ludwig leant down a little, and Kiku stood on the very tips of his toes, they could just about manage it.  
They took as much time as they could, until they finally had to let go and Kiku buried his face into the German's chest for one last cuddle. Ludwig put his hands on Kiku's back as a comfort, and his heart almost sank when Kiku's shoulders began to shake. The strong willed, stubborn, Japanese man had avoided crying until now.  
Feliciano crept up to the back of him, putting his arms around him as well, effectively sandwiching him there. Kiku didn't mind.  
His entire body shook violently as he just let go of every inch of sadness he'd been holding in. Tears streamed down his reddened cheeks and dripped from his chin to the floor.  
"I'm going to miss you-" he choked between sobs. "Please come to see me.."  
"It's okay, Kiku. We will." Ludwig said gently. He was the only one who hadn't collapsed into a crying mess yet, even if there were tears in his eyes. 

'Last chance to board,' Said the lady over the intercom. 'Last chance to board.'  
With that, Kiku finally pulled himself away, furiously wiping at his eyes with the cuff of his sleeve. He grabbed his case, and he grabbed the carrier that Pochi was currently sleeping in, and he set off. Just before he went through the gate, he turned to face Ludwig and Feliciano, and bowed down, his shoulders already twitching as he started to cry for a second time.  
"Thank you," he called, "and I love you!" 

With that, he was gone and it suddenly felt like something was missing. Ludwig and Feliciano suddenly hurt more than they had been, but they both silently decided, that they'd much rather have had this, than never have found Kiku at all.  
These last few months had been the best of their lives. 

In the ride back home, neither of them said much. They weren't sure what to anymore. They'd gotten so used to having Kiku around that it felt wrong without him. Ludwig was the first to pipe up.

"You know, we haven't been on a vacation in a while..."  
Feliciano looked up at him, a smirk creeping up his face for the first time today.  
"I hear that Japan is a nice place." He said, trying not to laugh. Even Ludwig felt like laughing all of a sudden.  
"Yes, I heard that too. We'll have to look into that the second we get back, won't we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for staying with this story with me!! I really didn't expect to get so much as 20 hits or so but you guys have made this entire story possible! This has been so much fun and I've thoroughly enjoyed writing it. I don't know when my next work will be, or if it'll even be hetalia again, but if you've made it this far, then thank you so so much! You're the best!♥


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